YOUNGSTOWN — Gov. Mike DeWine wants to see students back in school buildings this fall, but in the Youngstown City School District, kids will be staying home for now.

That’s because the governor left it up to the school districts to decide what is best for their communities during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The city school district is not going to ask teachers to enforce social distancing and face mask rules in addition to everything else they already have to do, said Denise Dick, director of communications and public relations.

This summer, the district’s teachers are getting training in various technologies to be prepared for teaching kids remotely.

Justin Jennings, school district chief executive officer, “has decided, at least at this point, that the best way to serve our scholars, our community and our employees is for an online-only start,” Dick said.

“He made the decision to go fully remote in the interests of the health and safety of our scholars, families, staff and community. Each school district is unique and each has to decide what’s best based on those factors,” Dick said in an email on Friday.

Still, DeWine said the American Academy of Pediatrics strongly advocates students should be “physically present in school as much as possible.” He said there must be a balancing of local control, the state’s interest in protecting the children and making sure the children get educated.

“No matter how hard everyone tried to educate children in the classroom without being in a physical building, some kids because of their circumstances … did not get exactly what they should be getting,” DeWine said.

WANTS OPTIONS

Michelle Adams, parent of a Youngstown fourth-grader, said she doesn’t agree with reopening completely online and wished for more options.

Adams said she agrees with the American Academy of Pediatrics and medical professionals who believe “kids need to be back in the schools, particularly the elementary grades.”

When her daughter attends online classes, only an average of four to five students out of 40 would log online, she said.

“I just think our kids are going to be at a much higher disadvantage and are going to be behind academically,” Adams said.

Paula Valentini, a fifth-grade teacher and vice president of the Youngstown Education Association, said there is “no general consensus” among teachers as to the best approach to reopening.

“As much as we don’t really like the idea of doing the online approach, we do understand that might be necessary. And we’re going to accept whatever decision our leaders come up with, ” Valentini said.

Valentini said since the majority of Youngstown families live in poverty, the school district needs to get technology into the hands of the students.

The older students tend to know how to use technology. But caregivers, especially those of younger children such as grandparents, may need training, Valentini said.

TECHNOLOGY

Just last week, the State Controlling Board approved the release of coronavirus relief aid to support local schools across Mahoning County as they prepare for the start of the upcoming school year. Youngstown’s share is $375,289

Dick said the district will use the funds for purchasing Chromebooks, iPads and other technology for the students to use at their homes. Funding also will be used to provide the needed training to help prepare teachers and other staff with the skills to teach online using the different technology.

She said the Youngstown district has 2,200 iPads and 3,500 Chromebooks, enough to be distributed to every student.

“There will also be a dedicated phone line to assist families with technology questions, problems and concerns. They will be able to communicate directly with our technology staff,” she said.

At a school board meeting last month, Superintendent Joseph Meranto said the Rotary Club of Youngstown and the Youngstown Foundation will also provide free Wi-Fi to families in need.

“I know we will be … much more prepared when we go online (this fall),” Meranto said.

The teachers have been informed that they need to be fluent in six technologies: ProgressBook, Google Classroom, Google apps, Remind, Zoom and Illuminate.

Seventh-grade teacher Jennifer Kluchar said many of the teachers are familiar with these technologies.

Teacher training is provided at the IT website, Kluchar said, by the district’s “phenomenal” IT department.

Meranto said every teacher will be paid to learn Google Classroom, if not already trained, this summer.

WORRIES

Karen Considine, parent of an eighth-grader and a ninth-grader, said she is not worried about her two children, but she is very worried “about some of (their) peers who … don’t have the support or even the resources at home to do” online learning.

Her eighth-grade son is in an accelerated program where the students seem “more driven academically” with good attendance in classes. Most of the students, however, do not attend her ninth-grade son’s classes, Considine said.

She said she worries all the effort that the school system has put into improving standardized testing and attendance “just went up in smoke.”

Kluchar, also the newest member of the Youngstown Academic Distress Commission (with oversight over the district and CEO) said: “(School) is going to look different when they’re not in front of you.”

She said some students thrive in an online environment. Some children attend school asynchronously.

“They’re taking care of home responsibilities. And maybe they can only do their work in the evenings after mom’s home from work,” Kluchar said.

“Truancy has been a huge, a huge part of our focus,” Jennings said.

Student attendance is monitored by the teacher, principal and dean of students, he said.

Truancy officers will follow up on absent students, do a health check, and do what is needed to get them to school.

The district plans to hire more truancy officers this next year, Jennings said.

Kluchar said she is concerned that too much responsibility will fall on the homeroom teacher who tracks the daily attendance of students. Kluchar had questions on the expectations.

“At what point does the teacher report the child? … After three phone calls? Five phone calls? Do I call every day? … Do I fill out a form?” Kluchar said.

There are guidance counselors, an intervention specialist, a care engagement coordinator, and social workers in her building, “but the buck stops with me,” she said.

All the people in the building need to work together to improve attendance, Kluchar said.

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